Micro components or micro devices generally refer to either electronic components or machines with dimensions in the order of micrometers. Micro electronics generally relates to electronic circuitry or integrated circuits formed on silicon chips, such as transistors. Micro machines generally refer to micro engineered devices having moving parts. Micro machines are also commonly known as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Micro machines are commonly used in accelerometers, pressure sensors, actuators, fluidic devices, biomechanical devices and other miniature machines. Many micro systems include both micro electronics and micro machines.
Due to their small size, micro devices are commonly packaged with a lid or protective coating. Because micro machines by nature include one or more moving parts, micro machines are especially vulnerable to damage from the environment. Many micro machines are surrounded by a hermetic seal. Communication with the sealed micro machine is typically achieved via one or more electrical contact points or contact pads projecting beyond the seal.
Due to their small size, multiple micro devices are typically formed together on a single common substrate such as a silicon wafer. Fabricating multiple micro devices on a single wafer reduces fabrication costs. However, the packaging of multiple micro devices while still part of a wafer and later singulating the wafer into a plurality of dies containing individual micro devices is typically complex, tedious and expensive. With present techniques, is extremely difficult to effectively seal each micro device yet expose contact points or pads of each device while the device is still part of a wafer.